1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with aspects of the present invention relate to a foam insert for use with a high fiber count package.
2. Background of the Invention
As telecommunications and enterprise service providers upgrade their systems from copper trunks to fiber optic trunks to improve data transmissions rates, it is necessary to replace the copper backbones with fiber optic backbones in central offices and data centers or install fiber optic backbones in new central offices and data centers. As part of this upgrade process, High Fiber Count (HFC) fiber optic cable assemblies (fiber optic cable trunks with more than 12 optic fibers which are broken out into individual connectors on one or both ends) are used to build this fiber optic backbone. The break-out end of these High Fiber Count (HFC) fiber optic cables consist of numerous individual fibers terminated with fiber optic connectors which are bulky and difficult to package efficiently and compactly. In the related art, a flexible tube may be fitted over the bundled connectors by heat shrinking the tube or by utilizing cable ties. This methodology makes it difficult to route the cable in ducts, wireways, and in panels due to its size. As a result, installers often will remove this packaging before attempting to install the High Fiber Count (HFC) cable. This creates a risk of damaging the product. Additionally, this packaging methodology makes it difficult to open and reseal this packaging when inspecting and testing fiber optic connectors prior to installation in order to prevent the installation of damaged cables and project delays.